Be Courteous

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 27, 1911

The children of God are enjoined to “be pitiful, be courteous.” Men of the world recognize the value of this spirit. The most successful business houses in the world are those whose employees manifest courtesy and true politeness toward their patrons. It is stated that the Illinois Central Railroad is about to establish what it calls a “School of Courtesy” throughout every branch of its system. Speaking of this, the Columbia State Journal says:—

That will be a real service to the road; for polite employees make an enterprise popular. It is very discouraging for a patron of a road to ask a question of an employee, and get a rude mumbling or “smart Aleck” answer, which is frequently the case. It makes no difference how high or how low a man’s employment is, it is as much his duty to be courteous as it is to be honest. No one has any more right to treat a man rudely than he has to hit him. And especially has a traveler on railroad or often is compelled to ask for information, he is forced to go that way, and very trolley a right to gentle treatment; for tion. It is a sign of bad breeding to answer a polite question in a crabbed and hasty manner. But that is often done.